


Of Knitted Sweaters, and Secret Santas

by hyun4yeol61



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Baekhyun being a sweet boyfriend, Baekhyun being a total softie, Chanyeol carves, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Im so sorry if this wasnt fluffy enough I tried, Knitting, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 20:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17168762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyun4yeol61/pseuds/hyun4yeol61
Summary: “Yeah,” the other beamed. “And in my opinion, handmade gifts are the best!”Baekhyun inwardly sighed. He thought about the concert ticket sitting at the bottom of his drawer and the pre-ordered limited edition Star Wars merchandise that’s going to arrive in a few days. So much for the money he tried saving up to buy those. Now, he needs to find a way to give Chanyeol a handmade gift.Or where Baekhyun tried to make his boyfriend a sweater and fails marvelously.





	Of Knitted Sweaters, and Secret Santas

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! Since it's Christmas season, I'm here to give you some fluffy Christmas fic~ Well, I tried to. I'm new to this, okay? T^T  
> This was not proofread by the way, so I apologized for any grammatical errors.  
> If you've got a twitter acc, you can hit me up on @hyun4yeol61

Walking down the streets of Seoul in this cold weather would have been a big no-no on Baekhyun’s list. But today, he wasn’t complaining. The cool air might be blowing at his neck, making him shudder uncomfortably, but at least someone’s there to make it all feel better. He looked down at their intertwined fingers, observing as how his hand was relatively small compared to his companion. Baekhyun smiled to himself and started gripping the other’s hand a bit tighter.

This gesture didn’t go unnoticed by his company. Chanyeol looked at Baekhyun, curiosity evident in his eyes. “You okay, Baek?” he asked.

Baekhyun shivered a little when Chanyeol’s cold breath made contact with his skin. Ignoring it, he smiled at the taller one and hummed an affirmation. “It’s just nice, being able to do this with you.”

Chanyeol chuckled at his statement. “Yeah, it is. But it’ll be nicer if this was a date. Too bad we still need to look for a place to buy those Christmas decors,” he scrunched his face in distaste which made Baekhyun laugh.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol as he started to walk a bit faster. “The faster we finish this shopping, the faster we can go home and cuddle.”

“As if we would be getting any time for ourselves after this,” Chanyeol grunted, dragging his feet, letting Baekhyun maneuver him through the streets. “For all I know, Joonmyeon hyung would just pester us to help them to decorate the whole dorm.”

Chanyeol could hear Baekhyun clicking his tongue. “No they won’t. Our job is to buy Christmas decorations. It’s Minseok hyung and Jongdae’s job to do the hanging and what not.” He could almost hear the pout on the smaller ones voice.

Chanyeol smiled and pulled Baekhyun back to his side. He stumbled a bit, but before he could complain, Chanyeol was already giving him a warm kiss on the cheek. Baekhyun’s face immediately heat up, and the taller cooed at the sight. Chanyeol hugged Baekhyun closer towards his side and started humming a happy tune.

 

They haven’t been dating for so long.  They were only together a few months ago, making this their first Christmas together as a couple. It was nice, Baekhyun thought, to finally be able to call Chanyeol as his and to also finally belong to the younger one. They were pining around each other for years, or at least that was what their friends says, subtly sending glances of admiration towards the other. It was sweet and almost sickening, the sight they make. Two people obviously enamored with each other’s existence, only to pull away, afraid of destroying their friendship.

It was a good thing that they finally got their heads out of their asses. Everyone was ecstatic, and as it turns out, people around them knew about it before they did. Their friends had been betting at who would confess first and when they would finally get together. This made them slightly angry, but quite thankful, too, for not butting into their business and letting the two of them drift towards each other naturally.

“It was frustrating, you know,” Jongin, one of their dorm mates said, “seeing you both send heart eyes to one another. It was painfully obvious, it hurts.”

Now, they just laugh it off, and they think that their friends are low-key regretting that they’ve become a couple. They were constantly complaining of the couple’s show of affection, but would smile at them fondly after that. Yeah, they have the best friends in the world.

 

“Have you bought a gift for your Secret Santa?” Baekhyun asked Chanyeol nonchalantly as they entered the fifth store for that day. Both of them were already carrying two bags full of Christmas decoration, and this is possibly the last stop they’ll have for their Christmas shopping.

“Not really,” the taller one replied. “I’m thinking of maybe making something for them instead.”

“But isn’t it a bit of a hassle, though?”

“I like it best if the gift I gave was something I actually made, makes it more special.”

 

That was one of the things he liked about his boyfriend. Chanyeol had always been talented with his hands, in more ways than one. He can play a lot of instruments, which wouldn’t be surprising since he’s a music major. But Chanyeol can also carve stuff, and he’s very good at it. He would sell some of his works sometimes, and a lot of people lined up to buy them.

There’s this room that nobody uses in the dorms because everyone thinks it’s haunted, Chanyeol turned it into his workshop. He had the approval of the dorm owner, of course. No one would dare to stay in there anyway, so he though why no let Chanyeol rent it, rather than leaving it there empty and unused.

Baekhyun go there sometimes, when he can’t find his boyfriend in his room. He would find Chanyeol there, all focused, with tongue poking out his lips and eyebrows scrunched, trying to carve every tiny detail into his masterpiece. They were all beautiful, Chanyeol’s work. But Baekhyun would always say that the maker was the one with unparalleled beauty himself.

 

“Something that they’ll surely make use of,” Chanyeol answered when Baekhyun asked what he will carve for their Secret Santa. “Hmm, for example book ends? Oh, or maybe a mini desk.”

 _So, it’s someone who loves reading,_ Baekhyun thought. “You really put all your efforts in every gifts that you get, no?”  Baekhyun gave him a teasing smile.

“Yeah,” the other beamed. “And in my opinion, handmade gifts are the best!”

Baekhyun inwardly sighed. He though t about the concert ticket sitting at the bottom of his drawer and the pre-ordered limited edition Star Wars merchandise that’s going to arrive in a few days. So much for the money he tried saving up to buy those. Now, he needs to find a way to give Chanyeol a handmade gift, at least even just as a boyfriend. Those two could just be his gift to him as his Secret Santa.

 

Sighing for the 30th time already, Baekhyun decided that knitting might be not for him and that he really should give up. He’s been on his room all day, in front of his computer, looking at video tutorials on YouTube on how to knit. He can’t even get a hold of the basics, how can he even make his boyfriend a freaking sweater?! Throwing his hands up, ready to toss the ball of yarn and knitting needle towards the trashcan, he groaned in frustration. He stared at his work for a moment and sighed again.

 _No, I can’t give up. Chanyeol’s working hard for his gifts, I should be, too,_ he thought to himself. Straightening his back, he went back and played the video, determination painted on his face.

 

It was a good thing that Chanyeol was busy with his work and that he’s always in his workshop these days. If not, he would’ve caught up on Baekhyun’s obvious change of mood. The shorter one would always be feeling down, playing with his food most of the time, always locking himself inside of his room, on most days he doesn’t even shower. But who could blame him? It’s just that knitting is so fucking hard and it seems like his work wasn’t turning out really well.

The others were worried. Are the two having a fight? Maybe Baekhyun felt a bit neglected. It wouldn’t be a surprise since the other one seems to be more absorbed by his carving to pay attention to his boyfriend. They confronted Baekhyun first, but unsurprisingly, they were brushed off. So, they asked Chanyeol.

To say that Chanyeol felt bad was an understatement. He felt guilty, irresponsible, and he is the most insensitive boyfriend in the whole world. How could he not notice Baekhyun’s gloomy behavior? Yes, he was busy with his stuff, but that’s not an excuse for him not being aware that his boyfriend was feeling blue. He raked his hair in frustration. He needs to fix this.

 

“Baekhyun?” he called out as he knocked on the older one’s door. “Can I come in?”

“No!” a frantic reply could be heard from the other side. “I mean, wait! Just give me a minute!”

So, Chanyeol waited. He could hear loud thuds and Baekhyun’s quiet murmur of “oh shit, oh shit” inside the room. There’s also a litany of curses that followed.. The taller one was worried. What the hell is Baekhyun doing inside?

The door opened and he was greeted by a nervous, pale, and out of breath Baekhyun. Chanyeol eyed him suspiciously. It doesn’t take a genius to know that his boyfriend’s hiding something from him. But what is it? Should Chanyeol be worried?

“Uh, can I come in?” he asked.

Baekhyun bit his lip and scanned his room first. He then nodded a reluctant yes and let him inside. Baekhyun’s room was a mess. Well it always was, but now it was messier than normal. There were empty containers of food scattered on his bed. His dirty clothes were piled up in the corner, making it a known fact that he didn’t do his laundry for how many days now. His hair was also kind of greasy, making Chanyeol wonder when was the last time he took a bath.

Everything’s a mess, really, but he didn’t comment on it and just went straight to the older one’s bed. He threw the trash first, cleaned up for a bit, and proceeded to sit down. Baekhyun was just there at the corner, standing and staring at him weirdly the whole time. Chanyeol sighed and patted the space beside him, gesturing for Baekhyun to sit.

He held Baekhyun’s hand and kissed it. Giving the latter a worried look, he asked, “Baekhyun, is there something wrong? Please be honest with me.”

Baekhyun shook his head, no. “Everything’s fine, Chan. Why though?” he replied.

“It’s just that I observed that you’ve been so down lately and that you were always locked up in your room. I’m sorry for being inobservant. The boys even noticed it before me,” he smiled sheepishly. “I’m really sorry if I wasn’t giving you enough time and tha-“

“Oh my God, Chanyeol. No it’s not… that,” Baekhyun cut him off. “I’m not mad or sad at you, okay? It’s perfectly fine, and I understand. It’s not because of that, I promise.”

Chanyeol let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least he didn’t royally fuck this up. “But why the gloomy air, though?”

“It’s just that… uh… It’s Mongryong. My mom called few days ago. She said he’s sick so I got worried.”

Ah, so that’s why. Well, he can’t blame Baekhyun for acting that way. If it was Toben, he would be devastated, too.

“You want to visit your mom, check if Mongryong’s fine? I can go with you.”

“Ah, no need. Just… cuddle me to sleep? I kinda missed you, too,” Baekhyun pouted. Chanyeol laughed softly and pinched the shorter one’s cheek.

“Go take a bath first. You stink,” he jokingly replied making Baekhyun shove him off and stuck his tongue at him.

 

It was nighttime already when Baekhyun woke up. Chanyeol was still by his side, fast asleep. He sighed to himself. It was ridiculous, he knows. He lied to his boyfriend about his dog getting sick when in fact he was just frustrated at himself for being bad at knitting. He made Chanyeol worried, which made him guilty. He’s the worst. Well, at least it’s okay now, or kinda.

 

The next days were a blur after that. Baekhyun tried to act more normally in front of others, not playing with his food anymore and his mood was obviously much better than before. This made Chanyeol feel relieved, at least his boyfriend’s okay now. But Baekhyun was far from okay. His personal knitting project was finally shaping into a sweater, but it was still a mess. He’s been pulling his air in frustration every day, and constantly contemplating whether he should start over or not. But he can’t, knowing that he’ll pretty much finish everything up by next year with his snail pace.

It’s not helping that Chanyeol kept on coming in his room, checking him from time to time, or to just plainly ask for cuddles. Baekhyun had to quickly hide any traces of his work. It was getting tiring, he was pretty sure that if this continues, he’ll go out of his damn mind. Good thing tomorrow is the dorm’s Christmas party. Just one more day left.

 

”Oh my God, Kyungsoo! These cookies are _amazing_!” Chanyeol exclaimed as he took another bite. His eyes were wide and he’s grinning like an idiot.

“Stop eating those. Or else you won’t have appetite for dinner later,” Kyungsoo snatched the food from the taller one’s hands, making the latter pout in annoyance.

The whole dormitory population was currently outside the backyard. Everyone was wearing Christmas hats and setting up the tables and chairs. Some of them were bringing the food outside, while others were by the grill, cooking. One could really feel the Christmas spirit in the air, though it was kinda sad. Their Christmas party was also a farewell party, since most of them are going home to their families the next day. But that’s okay. They’ll meet each other in January anyway.

Baekhyun found Chanyeol sitting at one of the tables, talking to their Chinese dorm mates, Lay and Luhan. The taller one must be talking about his stupid shenanigans with the way the other two would laugh at him. Baekhyun made way towards his boyfriend, and Chanyeol noticed him before he arrived. He waived his hand excitedly which made Baekhyun laugh at his cute antics.

“Hey, Merry Christmas,” he greeted the younger man, kissing him full in the lips. The other two fake gagged at the sight. Chanyeol had to whack them in the head for them to stop.

“Merry Christmas to the both of you, too,” Baekhyun punched the two Chinese lightly.

Lay and Luhan greeted them back, albeit teasingly. Baekhyun just rolled his eyes at them and proceeded to sit beside Chanyeol. The four of them chatted for a while, giggling and laughing from time to time with the stories they shared. The whole time, Chanyeol’s arm was at the back of his waist, constantly tracing small circles on his clothed skin.

“Hey, hyungs,” they were interrupted by Sehun a few moments later. “It’s time for Secret Santa. Let’s go.”

 

The Secret Santa was fun. It turned out that Chanyeol’s Secret Santa was Kyungsoo, and he gave him a pair of carved bookends in shape of an owl and a penguin for his cookbooks. Baekhyun received a pair of new headphones from Jongin, and it was so adorable how the younger boy wrote a letter for him, too.

When it was Chanyeol’s turn to receive a gift though, Baekhyun was nervous. He was holding two gifts in his hands, one with the merch and tickets, while the other was the ugly sweater he made. He was contemplating on which he should give to Chanyeol first, but decided to just fuck it and tossed gave him the one with the tickets. And he was really glad he did.

Chanyeol’s eyes were wide and sparkling when he saw what was inside. He immediately ran towards Baekhyun and hugged him tightly, whispering ‘thank you’s in his ear and showering him with kisses all over his face. Everyone threw paper at the young couple, making Baekhyun turn red due to embarrassment. But Chanyeol just laughed it off, yelling at them to suck it up and let them be.

The party ended at almost midnight. There were only a couple of them left in the backyard since most went up their rooms and retired to sleep. They’ll be leaving early tomorrow, so it’ll be better to catch some z’s for their travels. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were also on their way to their rooms, already tired from all the activities they did that day.

“Channie?” Baekhyun called him out gently when he noticed that they’re finally alone.

“Hm?” the younger one answered.

Baekhyun’s hands were trembling. He’s been clutching the gift the entire time and the wrapper’s a bit crumpled now. He thought to just not giving it to Chanyeol at all, but decided on the contrary. With sweaty hands, he handed the sweater to the taller guy.

“I, uh… this is for you,” he shyly said and proceeded to bolt towards his room, leaving a confused Chanyeol with a crumpled gift in his hands.

Chuckling at his boyfriend’s silliness, he opened the gift ever so gently. And when he saw what was inside, he immediately felt tears in his eyes.

 _Oh, Baekhyun_ , he chuckled as he stared at the piece of clothing he was holding. It wasn’t perfect, in fact, it was far from it. But Chanyeol loved it anyway. Smiling to himself, he made way towards his boyfriend’s room. He didn’t even bother to knock, just opened the unlocked door and went inside, only to be greeted by the sight of Baekhyun curled up in his bed.

“You don’t like it, do you?” Baekhyun said when he felt the bed dipped. He immediately rose and sat up, “You don’t have to spare my feelings. I know they’re ugly. Here, let me put them back at the desk.” He attempted to remove the sweater from the taller one’s hands, but Chanyeol didn’t give it to him.

“Yeah, you’re right. They _are_ ugly,” Chanyeol chuckled, his fingers played at the yarn still sticking out from the seams. “The knots weren’t aligned, and you missed some spaces here. There were also- hey, why are you crying?”

“I know you wouldn’t like it,” Baekhyun sniffled, “but I tried, okay? You said handmade gifts were the best so I wanna make you one myself. But I’m not good at it. I tried so hard, I even stayed up most of the night, but I still don’t know how to do it properly and I’m sorry-“

“Hey, no,” Chanyeol immediately hugged his boyfriend. Baekhyun was almost sobbing uncontrollably at his chest. Kissing the latter’s head, he continued, “You didn’t even let me finish.” He started caressing Baekhyun’s back, trying to calm the older one. “Yes, it’s ugly, but you know what? I don’t care. For me, this is the most beautiful thing ever, and I’m not even trying to spare your feelings. This is the best gift I’ve received this Christmas, because it’s from you, and because you made it while thinking of me.”

Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun away and cupped his face. Baekhyun was pouting cutely at him, brows scrunched up into a frown. Chanyeol just smiled fondly and slowly kissed his tears away. “Stop crying, Baek. I love it,” he whispered softly, kissing his forehead. “And I love you.”

Chanyeol stared lovingly at Baekhyun, slowly inching near, and finally, capturing the smaller’s lips into a kiss. Baekhyun’s immediately wrapped his arms around him and reciprocated. They stayed there, softy running their hands all over each other’s body – their hair, their back, their neck, their waist, up to the cheeks – all the while kissing each other in a slow, unhurried manner, trying to burn the feeling of their lips against each other.

When they pulled away, both of their lips were swollen, faces red because of the heat. They were panting, trying to catch their breath. Chanyeol leaned down and touched their foreheads together. He took Baekhyun’s hands and intertwined them with his own. Baekhyun was smiling contentedly, happy to have such an amazing boyfriend with a big heart. All throughout the night, they laid there, whispering ‘I love you’s to each other, stealing kisses from the other from time to time.

 

 _I take that back. I hate him,_ Baekhyun frowned at Chanyeol when they met each other at the dining hall. His giant doofus boyfriend wore the fucking sweater he made in public. He could hear people laughing at him, asking what in the world was he wearing, and Baekhyun’s frown deepened,  if that’s even possible. But Chanyeol brushed them all off, telling them to leave him alone.

“Take that off,” Baekhyun grumbled at Chanyeol when he arrived at his table.

Chanyeol laughed at his boyfriend and sat down. “No thanks. This is my favorite sweater, and it’s cold.”

In the end, they went to the concert of Chanyeol’s favorite band together, with Chanyeol still wearing the sweater that Baekhyun made him, proudly. And Baekhyun is feeling both annoyed and loved, but he won’t tell that to Chanyeol because fuck him, okay?


End file.
